Behind The Smile
by pokecharmer007
Summary: A smile is used when someone is happy and content with life and everything that goes. But not all smiles are happy ones; there are some with hidden meanings behind them. So what goes beyond the smiles given by this one?
1. Chapter 1

~Chapter 1: The New Rookie~

A young girl entered a large circular room, lit by one light from far above. There were several people behind a huge pane of frosted glass, no doubt to monitor her while she was in the room. Glancing straight ahead with hazel-green eyes, she noticed there is some sort of a machine in the center of the room, a sword resting on a panel that extended out from it. A part of the machine was suspended above the rest of it by four slim metal rods.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long," a calm man's voice said. No doubt it was someone important, from the way he was addressing her. Although the tone was rather cold, he could still detect a slight warmth beneath the surface. "Now then, let me welcome you to humankind's last fortress, Fenrir. We will now test your compatibility as one of the anti-Aragami punitive force, the Gods Eaters." He paused, as if to let it sink in. "Please try to relax a little. You'll get better results that way," the voice said. "When you're ready, go stand in front of that machine in the center of the room."

The girl nodded and walked towards the machine. As she got closer, she could sense the sword was pulsating with life and hunger, as if waiting for the perfect time devour her. But she didn't let that get to her as she placed her right hand around the hilt while her wrist is resting on a strange red U-shaped part. Her body tensed as she readied herself. She waited, and waited, and waited but nothing happened.

Just when she was about to relax her body, the part that had been suspended above the machine suddenly slammed down on her hand and wrist. She gave a yelp of surprise but nothing more as she endured the pain running through her arm. It didn't take long for the pain to subside, and with a hiss, the machine returned back to its former position, revealing a large red Armlet on her wrist. Blinking, she tried lifting her hand and was surprised to find that she could lift the sword. Sure it's not light but it's not heavy either. She gave out another yelp when a tendril of some black matter suddenly grew out of a core embedded in the sword's hilt and attached itself to a slot in her bangle.

She felt something pulsed in her before it subsided. She couldn't explain it but the sword somehow felt like it became her extension. She tried a few practice swings to get used to the blade and found herself smiling down at her new 'partner'.

"I'm looking forward working with you." she whispered to the sword. Her eyes brightened when the core pulsed.

"Congratulations on being the first of the New-type God Eaters in the Fenrir Far East branch." The girl nearly jumped at the sudden voice of the man; she had pretty much forgotten about the people watching her from that room behind the frosted glass. "Now that we know you're a match, you'll be going to a medical check-up next. Don't hesitate to let someone know right away if you start feeling unwell." She nodded in understanding. "Please rest in the waiting room just outside of that door." she gave another nod as she turned to leave. "I've high hopes for you!" the voice called as the girl started towards the door. Once outside, she breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be out of there since she's not used to people staring at her before realizing she was still holding the sword.

She looked around, wondering if the other Gods Eaters held on to their God Arcs but found none. She was about to ask the receptionist when her 'partner' folded itself up and disappeared inside her Armlet. "Well, that's one way."

She then took a seat beside a gum-chewing rust brown-haired boy wearing a striped yellow hat. The boy was also wearing a sleeveless yellow vest over a web-patterned black shirt with knee-length shorts that flared out around his legs as he swung them restlessly. A striped scarf was wrapped around his neck.

The girl could tell the boy must be quite a bright boy, no pun intended, and became a bit conscious about her own clothes as she watched the other senior Gods Eaters. She even saw one wearing a low v-cut suit, almost exposing her bosom. Her face flushed a bit before looking away and down at her own Prep Top and Bottom, more specifically her chest which she was always commented on being slightly flat. She inwardly pouted, she can't helped it if her cup size is small, she's still growing...maybe...

"Hey..." The boy's voice was muffled as he spoke around the gum in his mouth. "Want some gum?"

The girl just blinked as the boy searched his pocket for a piece.

"Oh, I'm all out. Looks like I just used the last piece." The boy gave her an apologetic smile as he scratched the back of his head. "Gomen."

"No, it's alright."

"Hey, are you also a new recruit?" He gave a little chuckle. "Even though we're joining at the same time, it seems like you're a little older," he said with a slight frown. "But I'm still your senpai by a nanosecond!"

"By experience or by age?"

The boy gave a laugh at her response. "Anyways, my name is Kota. Fujiki Kota. What's yours?"

"Kudo Ichika. You can call me 'Ichi' if you like. It's nice to meet you, Kota."

"How old are you, Ichi?" Kota asked her curiously.

"Seventeen, why?" Ichika replied with a raised brow.

"What? You're that much older than me? I'm only fifteen!"

"Eh?!" Ichika turned to stare at him. The sound of heels clicking loudly on the floor made them both turn to stare.

A woman with wavy black hair that cascaded down one shoulder came up to them, her white shirt open to reveal much of her chest, her white pants laced up the sides, exposing a lot of bare skin. "Stand up."

"Hai?" Kota uttered at the sudden command while Ichika had already stood at attention. Just at first glance told her that this woman is not one to be cross with.

"I said stand up!" Kota quickly got up to his feet and stood straight up with his head tilting up to the ceiling. "My name is Amamiya Tsubaki, and from now on, I'll be your adviser," she said, holding a clipboard to her chest as she talked to them. "After your medical checkup, you'll be going through a full curriculum of basic weapon training and education on Aragami." Her face never changed expression as she continued to talk. "Up until now, we've been protecting you, but from now on, you'll be the ones doing the protecting. If you don't want to die from anything stupid, you will answer my every order with a yes, understood?" Ichika and Kota stood there in silence, wondering if they should answer, wondering if they could speak now. "If you understand, then respond!"

"Understood!" Kota replied, his eyes never leaving the ceiling.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" Ichika answered, snapping her salute again.

Tsubaki's cold expression seemed to crack lightly as she gave what could be passed for a slight smile at their responses. However, as soon as it had come, it disappeared again. "Your medical check-ups will begin shortly. First is you," she said, pointing at Ichika. "Report to Doctor Paylor Sakaki's room at 1500 hours. Take a look around until then." Ichika nodded, taking in everything she said and trying to memorize it. "From now on, this will be your new home, the Far East Fenrir branch. Its nickname is The Den." She looked both Kota and Ichika, who were now looking at her, in the eyes. "Make sure you pay your respects to the members of your team, especially your senpais."

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" Ichika said, saluting her again as Kota ran off to explore the Den. "Ano, where exactly is this Doctor Paylor Sakaki's room...?"

* * *

Ichika took a deep breath as she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Um, excuse me."

There were two men inside, one sitting in front of several screens as he typed quickly. He had a mischievous smile on under his round glasses, and he wore what Ichika remembered from an old photo of her grandmother's was called a 'kimono'. The other man stood next to the one typing and wore a long white coat. Every strand of his blond hair seemed to be perfectly in place, in stark contrast with the messy blond hair the one at the screens had. They both looked up when they heard Ichika come in.

"P-pleased to meet you! I'm Kudo Ichika, the new recruit!" Ichika said with a bow.

"Hm...you got here 726 seconds sooner than I expected," the one with glasses said with a smile. "Good to see you, New-type." He chuckled at the term he was using. "I'm Paylor Sakaki, and I'm in charge of Aragami technology R&D. Well, we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, so welcome aboard, Ichika." Sakaki's welcoming smile faded slightly into an apologetic one. "Now then...as you can see...I'm still a little busy with preparations." He turned to his companion. "Johannes, why don't you get your business out of the way first?"

The blond man in the white coat shook his head with a slight frown. "Doctor Sakaki, I think it's high time you learned how to separate business from private matters."

Ichika blinked at the man. For some reason, his voice sounded very familiar to her...but where?

The man turned to her, putting on a business-like smile. "Thank you for taking part in the aptitude test. My name is Johannes von Schicksal," he said, introducing himself. "I'm in charge of the Fenrir branch in this region." He gave a smile befitting the director of the branch. "Congratulations again on passing the test. I expect great things from you."

"Th-Thank you, sir." she saluted before remembering something. "Um, sir. Back at the testing room, you said I have a compatibility to be a New-Type, right? What is a New-Type?"

"We don't know much about New-types yet since we have a very scarce number of them," Johannes replied, giving Ichika another business-like smile, but with some warmth beneath it this time. It kind of reminds her of her late father. "That's why we request that you allow us to study you as you continue to grow as a God Eater."

The hazel-brown haired girl nodded. "Anything to help, sir!"

Sakaki chuckled at this exchange, adjusting his glasses slightly as he continued to type. He smirked at Ichika. "He's a former techie too, you know. Half the motive behind his being so nice to you is his curiosity!" He glanced up at Johannes' politely restrained face. "The New-types' medical check-ups interest you to no end, right, Johannes?"

"I decided to retire as a techie because we have you, Paylor," Johannes replied, a silent threat lurking beneath his ever-present calm smile. "Please keep that in mind."

"Did you ever really retire?" Sakaki asked with a chuckle, still deciding to press his luck.

With a slight scoff, Johannes turned away from Sakaki to Ichika. "Now then, this is where the real fun starts," he began, completely ignoring the doctor's response. "Let me explain the Fenrir Corporation's objectives once more. Your direct duties are very simple. They are to keep the Aragami in this region at bay and to gather materials, which are then converted into resources needed to maintain this advance base, as well as to complete the impending Aegis project."

"Ugh, look at these numbers!" Sakaki suddenly yelled out, sounding exasperated and excited at the same time, obviously not paying attention to Johannes' explanation.

The director paused for a second, then began again. "The Aegis project is, simply put, a plan to create a utopia impregnable against Aragami attacks, located far out to sea, close to the former Sea of Japan trench."

"Ahh...I see..." Sakaki said, nodding in understanding. But it was obviously not about the director's words. Ichika, though trying hard to stifle her giggle with a cough, gave a worried glance at the doctor, then at the director, worried about what would happen if the doctor pushed the director's patience too far.

Clearing his throat, Johannes continued. "Once the project is complete, humankind will be able to avoid extinction, at least for a while."

"Amazing! So this is what a New-type is like!"

Annoyance obvious on the director's face, he turned to face Sakaki, his polite smile cracking slightly to show a hint of anger. "Paylor, you're interrupting my lecture."

"Oh, sorry about that." Sakaki gave an apologetic chuckle as he glanced up at Johannes' face. "I was just taken so aback by these stats, I got carried away."

This piqued Ichika's interest. Is her stats really that impressive?

Shaking his head slightly, Johannes turned back to the new rookie. "At any rate, the fate of humankind is at stake, so give it your best effort." The young woman nodded, feeling the weight of the responsibility that she had been given on her shoulders. Johannes fought a smirk that threatened to come onto his face and give away all the plans he had for this easily influenced recruit. "All right. I'll be taking my leave now." He shot Sakaki a smile. "Paylor, I'll leave the rest to you. When you're done, send me the data." With that, he gave a nod to Ichika and exited the room, leaving the two alone.

"So," Sakaki started as he typed away. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I think. I'm still a bit overwhelmed though." Ichika smiled nervously. "But it's been a while since I last saw you, Doctor."

"Ah yes." Sakaki nodded with a fond smile. "You were still a young girl, following her brother around the Den and your parents would be treating me with tea and sweets. Ah, how time flies." He then looked up to the young woman with sad eyes. "Then the incident happened." Ichika smiled ruefully. "With your brother gone and you stopped visiting, things had been a bit dull here. Not even Lindow's jokes could brighten the day."

The young woman giggled. "Then came the day I was chosen to be a Gods Eater like nii-san and tou-san. I must be the first female to be chosen in the family."

"That is true." Sakaki mused before he furrowed his brows. "Anyways, Ichika, are you sure you want to hide it? You know it won't make the pain go away."

Ichika frowned. "I'm aware of that, but it's better this way. Besides that, aren't you supposed to be sending data to the Director?"

"Ah, you're right. I almost forgot!" the Doctor then proceeded to type again."Okay, the preparations are complete!" He smiled at Ichika from behind his screens. "Please lie down on that bed over there," he instructed, pointing at a bed in the corner of the room.

Ichika nodded and headed for the bed. Lying down, she turned her head to the Doctor. "Now what?"

"You'll get sleepy for a little while," Sakaki started. "But I assure you, there's nothing to worry about," he added.

"That'll only make me even more worried."

"The next time you awaken, you'll be in your own room." He chuckled. "Just a little catnap, so to speak... You'll get about 10,800 seconds." she nodded, looking up at the ceiling, feeling herself starting to drift off like Sakaki had said. "Sweet dreams!"

Sakaki watched as the rookie fell into a deep sleep before frowning and turning back to the screens. "...Isamu, how can you make your daughter suffer?"


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2: Missions~

Five days flashed by since her aptitude test. After her training, she was assigned to the 1st Unit and was given her first mission which she felt very nervous about but felt relieved when Tsubaki said her leader will be accompanying her since they wouldn't want their first New-Type ending up KIA on the first mission. After that, she went around the Den and found many old faces.

The first one was Kusunoki Licca, the mechanic. She first met her when Licca was assigned here after taking over her father's job. She may looked young but she has five years of experience so don't judge her. The second was Momota Gen, a veteran Gods Eater who retired after suffering a major injury. Ichika remembered that he worked side by side with her father when he was her age, but now he offered battle advice to rookies like her. Third was Tachibana Sakuya, a fellow 1st Unit member and a former of her brother's. The woman is also one of the Old-Type Gods Eaters and a medic. She's also quite kind and caring with a strong sense of responsibility. Then she met a few new faces like Ogawa Shun, Karel Schneider, Daiba Kanon, Gina Dickson, Tatsumi O'mori, and Brendan Bardell. They were all very nice people, except for the first two.

"Oh, Lindow..." Ichika looked up when Hibari's voice spoke. A black haired man dressed in earth-colored clothes was standing next to her desk.

"The Director said if I saw you, to tell you to come see him."

"OK! Don't tell him you saw me," Lindow waved a hand. While the elder approached him, Ichika petted her skirt and stood up. Lindow smiled kindly, "Hey there, small fry." he ruffled her hair. "Man, how time flies. The last I saw you was three years ago, and look how much you've grown."

Ichika smiled. "It's nice to see you too, Lindow. Or should I call you 'Leader'?"

"On paper, I'm your superior officer. But, uh, never mind all that boring stuff, okay? Though you're free to call me as such. All I'm asking is that you become someone I know will have my back. Ok?" he clarified.

"You can count on me!"

"Hey, you two." a woman called as she walked passed. She was dressed in black and green clothes and probably around the same age as Lindow. "Heading out?"

"Yeah, and I'm pounding her with all our severe rules right now, so take a hike, Sakuya."

"Yes, sir! Big Boss, sir!" Sakuya said in a light mocking tone. She waved at Ichika with a wink and she waved back in response. When she left, Lindow returned to his introduction lecture, "So anyway, that's about it. OK?" A nod was all he received. "I'm sending you right into battle now... but I'll be accompanying you on this mission," Lindow glanced at the clock, "Hey, look at the time. We're gonna head out now, rookie."

"Right!"

* * *

The helicopter dropped the duo off in the City of Mercy before flying back to the Den. Hazel-green eyes took in the surrounding area. It was a complete wasteland; what had once been a bustling city full of life and people was nothing than a relic from the past that felt so far away.

"Boy, this place has seen better times, huh?" Lindow said. His God Arc was slung over his shoulder in a casual and relaxed manner while Ichika's was being held in a back handed grip since it's a Short Sword. Ichika took the time to experiment the different types/form a God Arc can take to find the perfect weapon so she first went with the lightest and the fastest. "Hey, rookie, we're going to start the simulation now. You got 3 orders. Don't die. If your numbers up, get out. Lastly, hide. If you're lucky, catch the enemy off guard and blast it." Lindow paused, "Wait, is that 4?"

Ichika stifled a giggle.

"The bottom line is, you've got to survive. Just follow that order, and everything else will be fine."

"Right!"

"All right, let's get this show on road! Stick close, rookie."

They both jumped down onto the dusty ground and began their search. The eeriness of the city did little for Ichika's nerves. She was so high strung and wary of every single shadow and building they passed by that she even jumped at her own.

She sighed, 'I wonder if Nii-san had felt this nervous on his first mission?'

"Wait," Lindow held his arm out, stopping Ichika. Up ahead was a Ogretail feasting on another Aragami's corpse. "On my mark, we're going to charge. Ready? 1, 2, 3... GO!" They both flew out from their spot behind the ruined building. The Ogretail lifted its head and roared when it saw them. Lindow was the first to land a hit, slicing at its head. Ichika followed with several stabs to its legs. The Aragami roared in pain and fell to the ground, still not quite dead. Ichika drove her Knife into the Ogretail's belly, spilling blood out on to the ground.

The Ogretail gave one last dying shriek before becoming completely still. Ichika breathed heavily, sweat dripping down her face, heart pounding in her chest. Her knees felt weak from the adrenaline rush she had received during the rather short-lived battle. Taking a few more deep breaths, she slid her God Arc out of the belly.

"Not bad. Most rookies freeze up but you went with the flow," Lindow patted her shoulder. The 1st Unit leader's God Arc turned into a black mouth of sorts and it bit into the dead Ogretail, retrieving the core. "Mission cleared. Let's get back to the Den and get some well-deserved rest."

A smile formed on her face. "I'm definitely needing it."

* * *

~**The Next Day**~

The helicopter deposited Ichika onto the Wailing Plains. The area suited its name; rain fell in torrents with a chilly breeze to accompany it. The entire area was completely soaked with a barren landscape and nothing but lichen growing in patches on the ground and walls. Ichika was glad to be wearing a jacket and a pair of shorts as she walked towards the spot where Sakuya is standing, hands holding onto the hilt of her Blade, a long sword.

She turned around as she approached, "Hey, you! Glad you could make it!"

"Wouldn't missed it since it's my second mission after my first from yesterday."

"Are you nervous?" Sakuya asked.

"Kind of."

"You need to relax," Sakuya scolded gently, "Or you'll find yourself freezing up at crucial times."

"Right."

Roars and hisses came from the distance, making Sakuya's expression become serious.

"All right. I'm going to brief you now. A number of Cocoon Maidens have been popping up here in the Wailing Plains and we have been ordered to exterminate them. During this mission, you're going to take the lead. I'll be backing you up from the rear. This is basic strategy for teaming up with a God Eater with a long-distance God Arc, so don't forget it."

"So I'm learning how to cooperate with another that has a Gun-type God Arc?"

"You got it! And also, don't get too far ahead. Always stay within firing range of your backup, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ichika said softly. They both leaped from the crumbling platform and onto the ground below. Ichika took the lead as instructed and they headed towards the first Cocoon Maiden. The Aragami wasn't tough, it just took a lot more hits to take down than the Ogretail from the previous day. Unlike the Ogretail, the Cocoon Maiden couldn't move, so it was easy to dodge its spike attacks.

Ichika slashed her Blade at the Aragami, creating big wounds before stepping back to let Sakuya open fire on it. This process was repeated until the last Cocoon Maiden laid dead at their feet.

"Not bad, rookie," Sakuya applauded her, "Lindow was right when he said you wouldn't freeze up like all the others. Just like your brother, though his was a bit sloppy and would sometimes get in my line of fire." Sakuya sheepishly said.

Ichika sweat-dropped. 'That's so like him.'

* * *

~**The Next Day**~

Ichika stretched her arms as she entered the lobby and went over to the desk where Hibari was working. She smiled kindly, "Morning."

"Good morning, Ichika-chan," Hibari replied, "You have another field mission today. The Director must be very certain of you if he's sending you out on this many after your initiation. Must be because of your family."

Ichika chuckled. "I don't know about that, Hibari-san. So what mission am I taking today?"

"Here are the mission details," Hibari handed her a file, "I wish you the best of luck."

Ichika blinked. It could have been a trick of the light but was that worry in the operator's eyes? Brushing it off, Ichika nodded his head with a smile and walked over to a bench to review the details. There would be two other God Eaters with her on the mission and they would be exterminating Cocoon Maidens and Ogretails. It could be a good idea to try out her Claymore and her new Gun Form.

"Ooh. Unlucky you," a voice from behind her startled her. Ichika whipped around to see Shun and Karel there. Shun had his arms behind his head in a casual manner, but there was sympathy and pity glistening in his eyes, "You drew a bad lot if that's the mission you're taking."

"Hai?"

At her confused expression, Karel interjected, "You're most likely not coming back alive because of whom you're partnered with. Not that I care really..."

That only made her even more confused. Shun only grinned good-naturedly and patted her on the shoulder before he and Karel left her there. Ichika stared at their retreating backs as she pondered the cryptic words.

'Why do I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this?'

~Later~

Ichika sat by the doorway as the helicopter rumbled through the sky to the drop off point. She watched the land below while clenching and releasing her grip on her God Arc. She thought back at Shun's and Karel's off comments about her not coming back from this mission. She had even heard Tatsumi whispering to Brendan and Kanon about the mission too. What was going on here? What was so bad about this, other than heading to unexpected doom should she be careless? They acted as if the manila folder in her hand carried some kind of voodoo magic curse.

Ichika had to stifle a giggle at that. It was inappropriately funny and disturbing, though ridiculous at the same time. I mean, how can a mission be that dangerous? She can't be that in danger if she had two other senpais with her. Unless...

Taking the mission details out of the folder, she looked down at the names of her senpais. But shook her head with a smile. Nah, can't be...

It was then her God Arc pulsed and the same black tendril wrapped around her exposed arm. Ichika opted to leave her jacket behind since the area she's going to would be warm so she's wearing the shirt underneath and a pair of shorts. The rookie smiled at the tendril before petting it reassuringly, knowing that her 'partner' felt her anxiety towards this mission.

'Let's get through this together, partner.' she said in her mind and her God Arc pulsed in agreement as the tendril retracted back.

"We're here, rookie," the pilot stated. Ichika nodded, grabbed her God Arc and prepared to disembark. The helicopter hovered above the ground, the blades sending mist scurrying away in breezes. Ichika prepared herself before leaping out of the flying aircraft. Then it took off, disappearing into the fog. The brunette watched it until it left her field of vision and she then turned to look around her.

Honestly. It was eerie, like something out of a horror movie.

Ichika gulped down her saliva and walked through to the rendezvous point. Her footsteps echoed throughout the area as she walked down the slippery concrete.

Ichika's heart was thumping at a steady beat, keeping in time as she looked around her surroundings. She breathed in the damp air that smelled of moss, water, and rust. A faint roar from the background made her whip her head around, eyes flitting about from side to side. Every muscle in her body was tense, waiting for an Aragami to come charging out at her.

Nothing came out.

"..." Ichika turned back around and picked up his walking pace but kept her guard up. You won't know when those sneaky beast might come pouncing. In the distance, she could make out two figures with God Arcs. The red-haired male with sunglasses was talking to a hooded young man who looked slightly irritated. The red head noticed her and waved, trotting over to meet her.

"Hey, are you the rookie we've been hearing so much about?" he asked. Ichika only stared back in response as he continued, not even letting her have time to answer, "I'm Eric. Eric der Vogelweid. I suggest you take your cues from me, and learn to battle gloriously for humankind," the arrogance in Eric's tone was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Someone thought highly of himself.

'Uwaah...So arrogant...' Ichika sweat-dropped when her God Arc pulsed in danger and the tendril coiled around her arm again, making her stood in defense.

The hooded man, who had been standing off to the side did the same and ran towards them, "Eric, above you!"

Ichika was one step ahead as she pushed Eric to the side towards the hooded man, shifted her Claymore into her Gatling Gun as an Ogretail appeared out of nowhere and shoved the barrel into its opened mouth. "Eat this!" The barrel shot out multiple bullets into the gullet of the beast before shifting back to the Claymore once she was out of OP and swung her God Arc down onto its head hard, cracking the concrete ground.

Breathing heavily, Ichika stepped away from the Aragami before shifting her Claymore up, just in case it's not dead yet, posing to strike down on the Ogretail's head. At the slight twinge of movement, she swung down, bashing its head with all her strength.

In this world, you can't be too careful around Aragami.

Once she knows the Aragami is dead, she relaxed her tensed muscles. Her knees then gave way after the adrenaline rush had wore off. "That was scary!"

"Scary?!" Eric exclaimed. "You think that was scary! You totally saved my life!" The red-clad man pulled her up from the ground and vigorously shook her hands. After that, a chopper was called in to bring Eric back since he's a bit shook up so he'll head back, leaving Ichika with the other man.

"Welcome to this godawful workplace," the other male said sarcastically. Ichika's attention snapped right to him when she heard his voice. "I'm Soma. Not that you need to remember that," Soma said. Ichika was finally able to look at him properly. Dark skin, a head taller than her, platinum blonde hair peeking out from underneath his hood, and feral blue eyes. A chill went down her spine as she stared into them. It was like looking a tiger in the face with no cage to separate you; to protect you from it. Though she could have sworn she saw a hint of surprise and interest behind those eyes. "Sorry to break it to you, but this kind of thing happens on a daily basis here," Soma's voice betrayed no emotion as he jabbed his God Arc at her, "What kind of place did YOU think it was going to be?"

'What Ojii-chan used to say...' she thought bitterly.

For a brief second, Soma's face pulled into a half-smile, "Just kidding..." She blinked as the buster blade that had been pointed at her moved away, "Time's up. Let's go, rookie." Soma turned his back to her, God Arc resting on his shoulder. Ichika still openly stared at him, unsure of what to make of her partner. "If you don't want to die, just stay out of my way as much as possible. Although, it seems you can already take care of yourself." he added, referring to her earlier actions to save Eric.

The duo walked in silence until another roar cut through the air. They both readied themselves as a group of Ogretails backed up by Cocoon Maidens came into view. Ichika steadied her breathing and charged forward.

Blood and shrieks filled the air as the two Gods Eaters cut down their foes. A swing of an Ogretail's tail sent Ichika sprawling flat on the ground, the breath forced from her lungs. She pulled herself up as Soma finished it off with a mighty blow.

Ichika brought up her shield to block a harpoon from the second last Cocoon Maiden while Soma went straight for the kill. The brunette couldn't help but be in awe of the other's incredible strength. She then found the last Cocoon Maiden and fired her bullets before letting Soma finished it, just like how she did with Sakuya. With the last of the Aragami disposed of, the helicopter came to pick them back up.

As they watched the helicopter descend, Ichika though back about the question. "Nee, Soma Senpai?" Soma turned to her with a questioning glance, as if he had never been addressed as such. "Earlier, you asked 'what kind of place do I think it was going to be?' right? You should have rephrase it as 'What kind of place is it?'"

The tanned male gave another half-smile and a light scoff. "Hmm. So, what do you think?"

"Like what my Ojii-chan used to tell me... 'Hell on Earth'."


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3: Death God~

Walking through the Mesh Hall, Ichika heard a lot of gossip going on about her mission with Soma. She sighed; she had a fair share of gossips and rumors back at her neighborhood. Mostly about the news on the protesters and the Aragami. While some are about her and her family.

She heard Brendan talking to Gina, Karel, and Shun as she sat down on a table with Kota.

"I heard that Eric was almost killed by an Aragami if it weren't for that new rookie. It's a good thing too; He was cocky, but that kid is sure to become a great Gods Eater one day."

"But have you heard the rumors?" Asked Shun.

"Rumors?" replied Karel humoring him.

"That kid Eric wasn't a bad Gods Eater, so there has to be a reason why he was taken down so easily."

"Reason?"

"There's a 'Death god' among us, and they're worse than Aragami. Cause you die if you team up with him!" Shun spoke as if he was telling a scary story. "The name of this 'Death god'...is Soma..." This caused the brunette's eyes to widen. "Whenever he's around, the Aragami always come to you. People who get paired up with him usually die fast. But somehow, he's still alive. His Burst time is also really long too. See? He can't be human… He is Death."

Ichika frowned at that as she munched on her sandwich. She couldn't believe them; How can they bad-talk about someone as nice as Soma? While technically he's not that nice, more like icy-cold but at least he's worried for his comrade's safety. I don't think he has anything to do with Aragami coming after you or not. Besides...

"If he's Death... Then what am I?"

"Hm? You say something?" Kota asked with a piece of corn stuck to his cheek. Ichika shook her head and gave him a smile.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud. Oh, and Kota?" she pointed to her own cheek, the exact spot of the piece of corn which Kota picked and ate.

"Hey, good work on the mission!" Kota said. "I heard that you saved your partner from being devoured, right? Man, you must have been fearless or brave!"

Ichika tensed at that before looking down at her half-eaten sandwich. She is neither brave nor fearless, just plain fear that helped her to react faster, not wanting another person to die, not wanting to see a sea of red again.

"But it must be scary, right? Knowing that one of you might get killed on the mission...And..." Kota looked down at his peas as he played with them with his fork. "Mm… I just don't think it would be any good… for both of us to be gloomy." Then he looked up at her. "Hm… don't worry! Let's be more confident. We're invincible! Anyway, I just wanted to say… Let's try to buck up!" He said the last part punching his fist in the air.

Ichika blinked at his optimistic thoughts before smiling and nodding in agreement.

"Oh, that's right! We have a mission together tonight. Apparently, an Aragami that hasn't appeared in a long time showed up. They call it a Kongou. But why would they send two Rookies to fight an Aragami they know little about?"

She just shrugged, "Maybe to give us both experience of real combat. Anyways, I'm going back to my room for a while." she said after finishing the last of her sandwich. "We need to prepare for our mission so I better soak up as many info I can get about our target."

Kota nodded, still stuffing his face as Ichika walked out of the hall and down the elevator. It was then she bumped into Lindow on her way out.

"Oh, Lindow."

"Hey, small fry." he ruffled her hair.

"Are you intending to call me that from here on out? I'm no longer small, alright." she pouted.

"Hey, no matter how much you grow, you're still 'small fry'." Lindow chuckled. "I see you're coping well from your last mission."

"Hai?"

Lindow rubbed the back of his head, "Tell me, how does it feel when you saw a comrade about to die in front of your eyes?"

"Terrifying... You know someone's about to die right in front of you yet you couldn't do anything to stop it. I know that feeling very well." she said with a frown.

"I know. And Soma knows it too." Lindow replied. Ichika's head shot up in surprise. "Eric is one of those rich kids. He could be bratty, but he was a good guy who looked after his sis. When you become a Gods Eater, you're mostly fighting against the weight of that responsibility. In his own way, he fought as hard as he could… Soma knows this, and he's probably wallowing himself in self-guilt if you didn't push Eric out of the way in time."

Ichika blinked at this revelation before a small smile graced her face, "Soma Senpai really is a nice guy, huh?"

"Oi, oi. When did you start addressing someone as 'Senpai'? Don't I get one?" Lindow said in mock-hurt.

"You're too old to be a 'Senpai', so Lindow will be 'Sensei'." she teased.

"Hey, I'm not that old!" Ichika giggled. "Let's change the subject. That classmate of yours is a good guy. What was his name again?"

"Kota," she answered him.

"Ah, yes. Hard to believe anyone could be raised right these days. Guess we should give credit to the way his parents raised him… There's no greater treasure than comrades you can get along with. Take good care of them!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

"Hey, Ichi, do you know Sakuya, are you two close?"

"We are. I've known her for quite a while."

"She's really pretty don't you think? Friendly, good looking and strong, like an Amazon warrior. How hot is that!" Ichika felt relieved that Sakuya wasn't like an Amazon warrior, from what she read about them from books they hated men. But she nodded with him anyway.

"Alright, I'm getting pumped just thinking about it!" He pumped his fist in the air. "Let's see who can take out the most Aragami in the mission. I'm going to show Sakuya how awesome I am!"

"Well, what are we waiting for then! Last one to the meeting point is a rotten tomato!" Ichika teased as she leaped out of the chopper once it descended down.

"Hey! No fair!" The two sprinted towards the point with both ending in a tie. "Darn it, I won't be beaten again next time!"

Ichika giggled before turning her attention to her new surroundings; the name of the new field is Tranquil Temple, a snowy landscape, the sight of an old village with a temple. Like its name, the area is so quiet and the freshly fallen snow adds serenity to the place. She would have admired the area if it weren't for Aragami lurking about. She read in the NORN that this area was once a secret village where people of faith reside in peace. The temple, once the center of village life, has been half-destroyed by Aragami, and the interior is filled with snow. The sound of the freezing wind blowing across the lands might very well be the tragic cries of those who lost their lives to the Aragami… The dull light of the moon assuages the grief of those wandering souls.

The duo ran through the maze like paths between the old houses, cutting down the Cocoon Maidens and Zygotes they came across. Ichika would dash forward and release a volley of stabs upon the enemy with her upgraded Knife II, then pull back to let Kota fire off some powerful shots. Other times, they would both be raining bullets upon the enemy.

Eventually, they came across the Aragami they had come to defeat.

The Kongou.

The monkey Aragami was fast and huge. Ichika grunted as she blocked a swing of its arm, distracting it so Kota could get a clear shot. Kota's bullets disrupted its balance, making it fall to the ground. The brunette was given a clear shot and she charged.

The Oracle Cells flared up into a black mouth and bit into the Kongou's side. It howled and Ichika felt power run through her body. She was faster now, and had three Aragami bullets at her disposal. Without a second thought, she passed two of them to Kota, then fired her last one at the Kongou.

"Try this on for size!" Kota yelled and released his supercharged bullet. Ichika jumped out of the way, avoiding the brunt of it. The Aragami wasn't so lucky. It roared one last time, then fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Alright!" the 15-year old cheered loudly. Ichika retrieved the core and walked back to her partner. The duo high-fived each other. "Hey, great work today! Like when you started slashing away like that, then after you dropped back I went in there with my guns blazing! That Kongou was stumbling all over the place, huh? We're the best team ever!"

Ichika grinned at his antics. "We sure are."

"My gun and your blade, we were totally in sync! I'm gonna go home and brag to Nozomi! I'll tell her that I'm the defender of world peace!"

"Hm, let's go. We don't want to be late for Saki's lecture."

"Ah man," Kota slumped as Ichika phoned for the chopper to come fetch them. After that was a five minutes wait. Ichika then wandered to an abandoned temple not far from them. Staring at the once beautiful structure, she let a flood of memories rush towards her.

_A sneeze was heard as a young girl wrapped the ragged blanket around her tighter, braving the cold._

_Mere minutes later, sounds of crunching footsteps were heard and the girl looked up to find a shadowed person._

_"What are you doing out here all alone, little one?"_

_The girl gave no reply as she sneezed another time. The shadowed person wrapped warm, strong arms around her and carried her up._

_"Come, let's get you all warm up."_

"...Ichi? You alright?" she heard Kota's voice, making her snapped out of her thoughts.

"I'm fine." she answered as she turned her back to the temple. "Let's go home."

* * *

"...And then when you bashed that Zygote's skull, I came in and start firing like mad! Man, it's hilarious watching that egg-woman trying to dodge my bullets but my bullets can never missed! That Aragami went down for the count!"

"Yes, Kota. I was there, though you somehow left out the tiny fact that one of your 'accurate' bullets almost hit me when I tried to finished it off." Ichika joshed. Kota's cheerful mood became clouded with dread at that revelation. "Although you're not as bad as Kanon so it's all good."

"Come on, Ichi! I missed sometimes but I don't missed a lot!" The girl chuckled but grimaced as she clutched her left eye. "Whoa, something wrong with your eye?"

"It's nothing. Just a bit itchy, that's all. All the dust just kept going to my eyes." she reasoned. "Sorry, can you go ahead? I'll catch up with you later."

"Kota nodded and Ichika headed towards Sakaki's lab, still clutching her irritating eye.

the doctor looked up from his work when he heard the door hissing open to see the brunette covering her left eye.

He frowned, "Well, that was quick." He then rummaged around his drawers and pulled out a small cloth and a small bottle containing a sort of green substance. Wetting the cloth with the green substance, he handed it over to the girl who placed it over her left eye. "It's happening much quicker than before. At this rate, you'll need a regular dose everyday."

"...Is there a way to delay the process?"

"My dear, you know you won't be able to hide it for long. Sooner or later, the effects will wear off and the whole Den would know about it." the doctor frowned.

"I know, but I'm not ready yet. I just don't want them to get hurt, not when I'm attached to them already." Ichika said, clenching her right hand into a fist.

"Ichika, you know that's not true."

"Please, don't tell me it's not..." she cut him off. Lifting the cloth, she sighed in relief when the pain went away. "I'll be heading back now. Thanks for your help, doctor."

"Anytime, my dear. Anytime."

The brunette laid her forehead onto the door, heaving another sigh.

"That's quite a short meeting." a voice spoke. She jumped at the sudden voice and accidentally bumped her head on the metal. She quickly turned to the source to find the platinum-haired buster blader.

"Senpai? What are you doing here?" she asked, rubbing her sore forehead.

This address must have startled him since it took him a while to answer. "None of your business."

She frowned at that, "Okay then, how long had you been standing there?"

"Just passing by, that's all."

"Uh huh..." she didn't believe him but what proof did she have? "In that case, if you'll excuse me..." she made a move to turn when she remembered something. "Oh, Senpai? How's Eric?"

"...He's fine. A little shook up but fine." You could hear the slight relief in his indifferent voice but it's so minuscule, you would have brush it off as your imagination. "He should be able to get back on duty by tomorrow."

Ichika couldn't help but break out a smile, "Senpai really is a nice person."

Soma's cheeks tinted pink before he hid under his hood, "Shut up. I only cared about his role as a Gods Eater, nothing else. And don't think you can sweet-talk with me."

She blinked. Sweet talk? "I'm not. I'm saying what I think."

He scoffed. "Then you should rethink. There's nothing 'nice' about me. If you're not careful, you'll be dancing with death one day."

"Death, huh?" she muttered before heading towards the elevator. Once it arrived and the doors open, she entered and turned to face him. Her eyes that always shine with mirth now dulled to nothing as she spoke the next sentence, "If you're death, then what am I?" The doors closed right after that, leaving a speechless Soma.


End file.
